2012 Olympics Tech: How to Watch the Games

On phones and tablets, in 3D and Super Hi-Vision, the Games have never looked so good.

While there are many new ways to watch the Olympic Games of London 2012, they run the risk of not seeming nearly as miraculous as the home televised viewing of the Games of London 1948. That year marked the first time that the Games had been broadcast to homes and also the BBC's return to the air just two years before after a seven-year hiatus during World War II.

Though only 45,000 homes in the BBC broadcast area had television sets and all were around London, the Games were so popular that the BBC canceled other programs to double its originally planned coverage. Staffed only with two vans and six Emitron cameras (and half of each were pre-war), the BBC produced 70 hours of programming in 15 days.

During the London 2012 Games, not one moment will escape a screen of some sort. This time, the BBC is managing 2,500 hours of live content, including producing 33 hours of live television each day across BBC One, Two, and Three; airing 24 hours a day of news coverage; and broadcasting 24 live HD channels to cover every event.

Viewers will consume that content on phones and tablets, in front of 3D TV sets, and in theaters decked out with Super Hi-Vision. They'll also be talking back to their screens, whether they're getting the inside scoop by using Shazam or watching the Games and chatting with friends via Facebook.

Paul Deighton, CEO of the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, told Reuters, "It's sort of the anytime, anyplace, anywhere Olympics and Paralympics. It's really the customer experience, whether they're watching it on their phone, on their TV, on their laptop, and all the ways in which they can interact with the Games that way."

Tune in to our story to see where and how people will be watching London 2012.

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YouTube

YouTube

YouTube is the channel of choice for Olympics coverage in 64 countries and territories in Asia and Africa. Make that the only channel. The Games will only be viewable on the International Olympic Committee's YouTube channel in places where the digital rights have not been bought by another party. Live streams with commentary in English will be available for 10 events from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. London time each day and Games news, including highlights and interviews with athletes, will fill the rest of the time.